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The Origin And Nature Of Our Institutional Models

From: Changing Patterns in Residential Services for the Mentally Retarded
Creator: Wolf Wolfensberger (author)
Date: January 10, 1969
Publisher: President's Committee on Mental Retardation, Washington, D.C.
Source: Available at selected libraries

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A logical conclusion of the foregoing line of reasoning was that aside from euthanasia, only prevention of reproduction of retardates could reduce the number of retardates: "At least, let us wipe out the stain of legalizing the production of idiocy, imbecility, insanity, and crime" (Knight, 1898, p. 308). "This national body of charity workers, together with its associate bodies, has done a mighty work in the past score of years in helping to project the establishment of these institutions; but its helping hand must ever be extended, and its heart and soul be strong in purpose, until legislation shall put in force necessary preventive measures that will stop the increase and wipe out the degeneracy of the past, until humanity shall recognize the need of pure living and right purpose" (Polglase, 1901, p. 190).

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"The one effective way to diminish the number of the feeble-minded in future generations is to prevent the birth of those who would transmit feeble-mindedness to their descendants." "Indeed, the results of eugenic research are so impressive that we are almost convinced that we are in possession of knowledge which would enable us to markedly diminish the number of the feeble-minded in a few generations if segregation or surgical sterilization of all known defectives were possible" (Fernald, 1915, p. 290).

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Barr, in 1915 (p. 361) wrote an article entitled "The Prevention of Mental Defect, The Duty of the Hour," which began: "That the prevention of the transmission of mental defect is the paramount duty of the hour, is a truism not to be questioned." The article contained the following memorable lines: "... One cannot fail to recognize the necessity for the enforcement of measures which experience has demonstrated as absolutely needful steps toward prevention, viz: The separation, sequestration and asexualization of degenerates . . ." (1915, p. 364).

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Other writers added: "The successful control of amentia is the most imperative of public duties." " . . . Conserve the mental virility and moral integrity of the race" (Schlapp, 1915, pp. 328; 321). "The present generation is the trustee for the inherent quality as well as for the material welfare of future generations" (Fernald, 1915, p. 295). ". . .We absolutely cannot afford to wait" (Knight, 1898, p. 307).

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Much study was given to the means of prevention. Private and public study and action groups proliferated. In 1903, there existed a "Committee on Colonies For and Segregation of Defectives" of the National Conference on Charities and Correction. By 1915, seven states had public commissions (Schlapp, 1915) much like our governors' committees today. Several other states had unofficial commissions, and several cities had commissions much like today's mayor's committees. In Philadelphia in 1916, there was headquartered a national organization, entitled "The Committee on Provision for the Feeble-minded," that had as its purpose "to disseminate knowledge concerning the extent and menace of feeble-mindedness and to suggest and initiate methods for its control and ultimate eradication from the American people" (as quoted by Johnstone, 1916, pp. 206-207). This committee was instrumental in giving 1,100 lectures to about 250,000 people; in establishing institutions in nine states that had none; in increasing the number of existing institutions in five states; and in extending the sizes of existing institutions in four states (Davies, 1930).

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One of the more influential study groups was the Eugenics Section of The American (Cattle) Breeders Association, which, curiously, later became the American Eugenics Society and the sponsor of the respected contemporary journal Eugenics Quarterly. This group issued a well-known report (summarized by Van Wagenen, 1914) that considered 10 possible measures, judging only two to be practical: sterilization, and segregation of those retardates capable of reproduction. In general, there was a "... keen interest in everything pertaining to the mentally deficient both in Europe and in this country. The realization of the vast extent of mental defect, the inexorable requirements of the modern graded school systems with the study of the resulting retardation, the popular application of the Binet and other psychological tests, are some of the causes of this interest. Mental deficiency has become a subject of vital and pressing significance to physicians, psychologists, teachers, court officials, social workers, and legislators. The subject is being studied from medical, biological, pedagogical, psychological, sociological, economic, and eugenic points of view. The field of mental defect has been so broadened and extended as to include all the professional disciplines" (1913, cited by De Prospo, 1966, p. 38).

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Belief in the genetic causation of retardation had some convenient aspects. By proposing that most social problems would be solved if the poorer members of society would stop having children, one could feel freed from a sense of responsibility for bad social condition. Furthermore, one was relieved from the worry of the effects of slum conditions upon children, if one could believe that many such children were genetically inferior to begin with. It is probably no coincidence that the indictment period overlapped with periods during which Social Darwinism and laissez-faire socio-economic policies were prominent.

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